The present disclosure relates to a magnetic field generation apparatus and a sputtering apparatus that uses the magnetic field generation apparatus.
Japanese Patent No. 4845836 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses a magnetron sputtering apparatus for forming a thin film on a substrate surface formed of a wafer, glass, or the like. As shown in FIG. 1 etc. of Patent Document 1, a central magnet 2 is erected at a center portion of a bottom yoke 1, and a peripheral magnet 3 is erected so as to surround the periphery thereof. A first auxiliary magnet 4 and a second auxiliary magnet 5 are erected between the central magnet 2 and the peripheral magnet 3. By the magnet circuit having such a structure, a magnetic field having a distribution in which a vertical magnetic field component on a surface of a target 7 passes a zero level 3 times is formed. Accordingly, the target 7 can be sputtered uniformly (see paragraphs [0020] to [0025] etc. of Patent Document 1).
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-16634 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 2) also discloses a magnetic-field-generating device used in a magnetron sputtering apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1 etc. of Patent Document 2, a middle side permanent magnet 1 and an outside permanent magnet 2 that is provided so as to surround the middle side permanent magnet 1 are provided as a magnetic circuit for generating a magnetic field. Further, a shunt plate 6 formed of a magnetic material is provided between the middle side permanent magnet 1 and the outside permanent magnet 2 while being parallel with a target surface. The shunt plate 6 is arranged so that a vertical magnetic field component on a surface of a target 10 becomes flat at zero or near zero, or crosses a zero point three times. By such a magnetic field, an erosion area where the target 10 is eroded by the magnetic field is widened (see paragraphs [0021], [0028], [0032], etc. of Patent Document 2).